Archive for ‘April, 2016’

We at Tusk Gallery are fortunate to introduce Kym Barrett to our stable of artists! Kym is a landscape artist focusing on the experimentation and organic nature of cold wax.

Having studied Fine Arts at Brisbane College of Art, Kym has worked with a range of mediums including drawing and painting. From the discovery of cold wax, Kym has combined these mediums together and her work has evolved rapidly becoming much more “abstract, luminous and intuitive” in recent years.

With the influence of expressionist painters and their use of mark making, Kym discovered the cold wax medium through internet research including studying other cold wax artists such Rebecca Crowell from the US. After exploring as much as she could online, she began working and experimenting with this medium. As Kym explains, “cold wax medium is a smooth, soft paste-like substance – a blend of beeswax and solvent”. She will then mix this medium with oil paint and apply many layers to a rigid surface like plywood.

There is never any sort of initial plan when beginning a piece. When creating a new work, there are two processes involved: a building-up and breaking-down process. She starts by building up upon the base of the board with oil and cold wax mixed together which is applied with a palette knife, brayer or squeegee. From there, Kym will then break this down by using scratching tools and solvent. Kym is in control and the medium is manageable and will lets her instincts take over as Kym explains, “sooner or later composition emerges from this largely intuitive process”.

What is left is a landscape. When asking Kym where these specific places are, Kym explained her enjoyment of photography of her immediate surroundings, often taking photos at close range but never copying them during the creating period. Kym explained, “the colours and marks of the landscape that I live in tend to dominate…but maybe they are internals states of being – with no obvious connection to places I’ve been”.

Kym is off traveling to Ireland and Scotland to immerse herself in the wild landscape and “fill the creative coffers ready for some new work in 2017” and we cannot wait to see what will develop and emerge from her travels.

When looking at these distilled and silent places Kym has created, is allows the viewer to step away from their everyday life and just relax and reflect which is something incredibly special. Kym’s work has recently been delivered this week and are currently on display in our South Yarra Gallery.

We look forward to providing visitors of the gallery the chance to admire Kym Barrett’s creations and offer them an opportunity to take them away from the everyday life that often consumes us all.